


Night Cycles

by Inkwasher (inkstainedwretch)



Series: Humanoids [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Synthetic Humanity, Multi, although tbh that doesn't matter much unless there's a human character involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:15:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5811604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkstainedwretch/pseuds/Inkwasher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is basically a series of very pornographic vignettes that I can’t fit into the actual stories (mainly Synthesis). It’s sort of a cross between a “deleted scenes” collection and an excuse for me to write more sex. Because god knows I don’t do enough of that, already.</p><p>Each chapter is a self-contained story, and the title is the pairing/character involved. I have at least one more chapter I want to finish, but I'm marking it as complete for now, since there is no connecting story that needs finishing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aria/Nyreen, after the battle at Afterlife

Afterlife just didn’t look the same with all the lights on. There was no atmosphere, nothing to make it feel like home. The dead Cerberus troops and quickly dissolving adjutant bodies also didn’t do much for it, but she’d deal with those later. With Bray and his men gone to dispose of Petrovsky’s body, she reached over to the controls behind her and activated the hard locks on the doors. She was still riding the high of a battle well fought, and she wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

Nyreen’s hand was still on her waist, the blunt end of one armored fingertip sliding over her hip rather temptingly. She cranked down the lights to their usual firelight glow and rounded on her, grabbing hold of the back of her neck and pulling her down for a kiss.

Nyreen nipped at her lower lip almost hard enough to draw blood. The sting of it shot a thrill down her spine, adding fuel to the fire in her veins. She pushed forward, and Nyreen answered by pulling back, dragging them both down the steps and all the way to the wall. Her armor knocked loudly against the metal plating behind her.

That wouldn’t do at all. Not in the mood to waste time, Aria moved her mouth lower and bit at the softer plates of Nyreen’s neck. She slipped her fingers over the latch she still remembered on the side of her hip, and one of the plates of her armor clattered to the floor. With a sonorous hum, Nyreen undid the other one, and when it hit the floor the only thing between their skin was a layer of black fabric that felt miles too thick.

Aria leaned back a little so their foreheads could touch, and the fact that Nyreen let her might have said more than the fact that she opened her mind so quickly. In the dilated slits of Nyreen’s pupils, she saw her own reflection, and she watched intently as her eyes turn inky black. Of course, Nyreen still remembered how to keep her distance, so they were joined by only the shallowest of bonds, but it wasn’t like Aria minded.

Nyreen grabbed her hip again and pulled her closer, and she just laughed and slid her hand slowly under her waistband. It actually surprised her that Nyreen’s plates were open so wide; after all her grandstanding about being a protector of the people, it looked like she still loved a good fight.

Nyreen’s other arm slid up Aria’s back, her arm guards rough against the exposed skin of her side. Aria slid two of her fingers in, hooking them inside her, and they both groaned at the flush of pleasure it sent through them. Even though it had been such a long time, it was a feeling she’d never quite forgotten. It felt familiar, comfortable even, like getting your hand around the trigger of your favorite gun.

Nyreen was wet enough that she could add a third finger without even thinking about it, sliding her hand steadily in and out, back and forth. They fell easily into a rhythm, a dance they both knew all the steps to. She hadn’t been with a turian since Nyreen had left, but she still knew how to circle her fingertips inside of her just so, right where she could feel that ridge along her inner walls.

Right on cue, Nyreen’s grip on her tightened, and she had to shift her feet to keep her balance. Pleasure began to spread between them, hot and sharp as the edge of an omni-blade. With her other hand, Aria lifted the hem of Nyreen’s shirt and raked her nails along the dip of her waist. Nyreen’s hips twitched upwards, and when Aria kissed her, she could taste the need in her voice.

She felt her own body began to shake, and when Nyreen’s breath turned ragged and uneven she bit down on her neck again, her hand beginning to pick up speed. Nyreen grabbed at her and pressed them together hard enough for her armor to dig into Aria’s chest. Her voice vanished, replaced by soft gasps as she clenched around Aria’s fingers.

“Oh _fuck_ yes,” Aria hissed. The release hit her so hard, her eyes watered. She threw her other hand against the wall, and it flashed with biotics that left a black scorch mark in their wake. She kept her hand moving as long as she could until they both collapsed, Nyreen’s armor scraping against the metal behind them.

When she’d finally caught her breath, she slowly slid her hand back out and looked up at Nyreen with a tired grin.

“I needed that,” Nyreen sighed heavily, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.


	2. Samantha/Eva, after Edi stopped watching them

It was a very good thing that the office fireplace was digital. Had it contained actual flames, Eva’s back would have certainly caught fire by now, with the way Samantha had her pressed up against it.

Eva hadn’t expected her to be the forceful type – she was petite, soft-spoken, and frequently a bit of a nervous wreck. None of that spelled “shove you up against the nearest wall” to her, but she liked it. It was a gentle kind of force, firm enough for her to take the lead, yet caring enough to reassure Eva that she didn’t intend to hurt her. Warmth flowed through her, slower and sweeter than the wine that still clung to her mouth.

Samantha smelled like soft perfume and warm metal. Her lips were so much softer than Eva had thought they’d be, tasting faintly sweet from her lipstick. Her fingers slid through the strands of her hair, brushing slowly over her scalp.

“You’re amazing,” she breathed the words over Eva’s lips, and Eva felt her heart sink. She’d been waiting for the catch all night, and she’d finally found it.

“I know,” she replied, looking down at the floor. “I was designed to be.”

Samantha brought both hands down to cradle the sides of her face. She had the look of someone whose heart had just broken in two.

“That isn’t what I meant,” she shook her head. “What is it going to take to convince you of your own worth?”

Eva flinched back, nearly hitting her head on the mantle behind her. Something big began to push against the walls of her mind, threatening to break through the longer Samantha looked at her.

“Sorry,” she finally said.

“You don’t have to be,” Samantha leaned up to kiss her again.

Her arms slid over Eva’s shoulders, one wrapping around her back while the other continued down to her side. Softly, almost cautiously, her thumb brushed against the side of Eva’s breast. It sent a curl of heat up through her, and she gasped.

“Sorry,” it was Samantha’s turn to flinch back. “I should have asked first.”

“No, that’s…” Eva reached for her hand without really thinking about it, then paused. Finding words to describe how that had felt was proving to be difficult. Samantha seemed to understand her hesitation.

“Is that alright?” she asked.

Eva nodded, feeling remarkably out of her depth. She wasn’t entirely uninformed when it came to this sort of thing, but she was certainly lacking in experience. All she’d ever had before was the standing shower in her quarters, the only room without cameras. It had felt like an inconvenience then, an itch to be scratched so she could focus in the training room.

When Samantha’s hand returned to her chest, the soft sound Eva made was muffled against the soft silicone of her lips. Samantha’s other hand moved soothingly over her back, and her eyes began to close.

“Does that feel good?” Samantha’s voice was soft and low and kind.

“Yes,” she panted.

“Good,” Samantha kissed her again.

She withdrew the hand on her back and moved it down to meet the first one, and as Eva held onto her waist, her hands roamed over her body almost reverently.

A sudden thumping against the door jolted them both back to the present. A muffled voice shouted at them from the other side, although Eva couldn’t tell who it was. Samantha scrambled over to the door (which appeared to be locked, though Eva couldn’t remember so much as closing it), and it flew open. Whoever had been outside had vanished, but she looked back at Eva with a nervous sort of smile.

“It looks like they’re about to take a group photo,” she said. “We should probably…”

“Yes,” Eva nodded, quickly binding and releasing her hair to smooth it back out. “I think we should.”

If anyone else had figured out what they’d been up to, they didn’t say anything. They found a place to stand next to Jack, whose faintly smudged lipstick indicated they hadn’t been the only ones misbehaving tonight. Eva was just curious enough to try and find the person responsible for that, but then she felt Samantha’s arm slide around her and decided she didn’t really care.

When Glyph took the photo, she had no trouble smiling.

The group broke up after that, and despite how late it probably was most people seemed to have no desire to leave. A few did, of course – Eva turned around just in time to see Mordin hugging Bakara goodbye (as best he could), and Samara was already halfway out the door, followed by a shift in the light that could only be Kasumi.

“I’m starting to feel a bit crowded, honestly,” Samantha looked sideways at her, sounding much more nervous than she had a few minutes before. “My place isn’t far from here, actually. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in coming back with me?”

Her words were soft, but Eva heard them as clear as day.

“Actually,” she kept her eyes on Samantha, trying to ignore whoever might be listening, “I’d like that.”

Samantha looked at her like she’d given her some exquisite gift, and then they made their way towards the door without another word. Eva vaguely considered saying goodbye to someone (not Shepard, since she’d vanished after the photo and was nowhere in sight), but it just didn’t seem important. There was no threat of disaster outside the Citadel walls; they would all see each other again.

Midway through the short ride on rapid transit, Samantha took her hand, her fingers curling around the side of Eva’s palm. After all they had done, it should have seemed small, but it made Eva’s heart clench.

Her apartment was in the next district over, nestled into one tower among hundreds that overlooked the Citadel skyline. The light that reached them through the windows was faintly violet, softer than the bright oranges and greens that flared through the Silversun Strip.

Samantha’s voice, a low murmur accompanied by a hand on her shoulder, distracted her from the view.

“Is it alright if I pick up where we left off, or would you rather get comfortable first?”

The fact that she even asked sent a wonderful ache through Eva’s chest.

“It’s more than alright,” she turned away from the window and kissed Samantha hungrily, feeling the warmth inside her begin to grow again.

Samantha broke off and took her by the shoulders, pushing open her bedroom door with one foot and leading her in. The lights came to life with a soft glow, warming up until Eva could see the open closet door behind them. Several articles of clothing were tossed across the bed, laid out flat as though Samantha had put serious consideration into her outfit for the evening.

(Eva decided she’d made the right decision. Her top flowed over her shoulders like water, and the deep blue fabric looked lovely on her dark brown skin.)

“I really want to see you,” Samantha rolled the edge of Eva’s shirt through her fingertips, “if that’s okay.”

Eva ran her fingertips over the neckline of Samantha’s blouse, feeling the warmth of her skin underneath.

“If I can see you too,” she said, her voice only a little shaky.

“Of course.”

Samantha moved her hand to a clasp on her shoulder, and as it clicked open under Eva’s fingers, the whole thing fell with a swish of fabric. She was stunned for a moment, both at the brilliance of the design and at the sight of so much skin. The cups of her bra were edged with lace, bright blue filigree just a few shades lighter than her shirt. Had she planned that, too?

With a tug, Samantha lifted Eva’s shirt up and over her head, and she bent her neck a little to make it easier. When she brushed her hair back from her eyes again, Samantha’s hands hovered just above her collarbone. Eva nodded, her skin warm with anticipation.

When Samantha leaned in this time, her lips met Eva’s neck. Eva gasped, not expecting that, and the fingers of one hand found their way to Samantha’s hair. Her breath began to turn shallow as Samantha moved lower, pressing languid, open mouthed kisses from her collarbone all the way down to the inside of her breasts. She looked up at Eva, her hands resting at the waistband of her trousers.

“Can I touch you elsewhere?”

Her thumb dipped slowly inward, and Eva’s face felt very hot. She wanted that. God, she wanted that more than anything, but it would make such a mess. Samantha may have been a first edition, but Eva wasn’t certain how much she knew about organic human anatomy.

“Not here,” she shook her head, not sure how exactly to explain it.

“Not here, or not now?” Samantha asked, her voice free of any judgment.

“Not here,” she repeated. “Absolutely now, but—”

“What are you worried about?” Samantha tilted her head to one side, sounding confused but incredibly patient.

“I’m organic,” she explained. “It would be considerably difficult to clean if we did it here.”

“Really?” Samantha raised an eyebrow, almost as though she didn’t believe her, but then it seemed to click. “Oh, _oh_ , you mean…oh my god, come here.”

She took Eva’s hand and turned around, stopping for a second when she saw the clothes still on her bed.

“Damn it, I forgot about that.” She let go of Eva threw them into her closet, apparently not caring where they landed. “Anyway, here.”

She produced a large towel from a shelf in her closet, unfolding it on the bed and smoothing the edges down. Eva ran her hand over the bottom edge, surprised at how smooth it felt. The closet apparently contained the room’s heating vent, so the fabric was soft and warm under her hand. It felt much better than cold tile. She could barely believe this was happening.

“Would that work?” Samantha asked.

“I think so,” she nodded, and she looked back at Samantha in time to see her shimmy out of her trousers. Her underwear were also trimmed with lace, an exact match to her bra. Eva’s clothing was certainly more formal than she usually wore, but it felt almost utilitarian in comparison. Samantha had planned even further than she’d realized.

“Wow,” the word was out of Eva’s mouth before she could really think about it.

“Does that mean you like it?” Samantha’s face was tinged with red, and she began to fiddle a strand of hair between her fingers.

“It’s beautiful,” her eyes traced the fine rows of stitches that curved over Samantha’s hips.

“Thanks,” she said softly, as though _that_ was the thing that had made her nervous tonight. “People have told me it’s sort of pointless, since nobody actually pays attention to it.”

“They’re wrong.” Eva ran her thumb down the strap of her bra, over the finely embroidered fabric that hugged the curves of her breast. “You put so much thought into this…”

“Of course I did,” she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of Eva’s trousers and pulled them down. “I wanted to look nice for you.”

Eva stepped back, out of her pants, and kept the question on her tongue to herself. Samantha’s hands slid up her back, unhooking her bra so she could toss it to the side. Her mouth was warm and sweet against Eva’s chest, moving down to her stomach as she lowered Eva down onto the bed.

Eva barely registered the sound of fabric hitting the floor until she felt her underwear being drawn down her legs. Samantha climbed up beside her, completely bare, her hair falling over her face with its clip removed.

“Come here,” she said again, and they slid upward until Eva felt the soft support of a pillow beneath her head.

They lay facing each other, and without a word Samantha hooked one of Eva’s knees over her hips, moving forward until their bodies touched at every point possible. She felt so warm, her skin smooth and soft under Eva’s hands. Eva kissed her deeply, trying so badly to focus on what she was feeling, instead of what she was thinking.

One of Samantha’s hands found its way between her legs, and the brush of her fingers over her clit was a welcome distraction. Eva’s eyes slid shut, and she turned her head to one side, her breath beginning to shake. Warm wet heat began to build up inside her, and whatever she’d been thinking before turned into white noise.

“Inside,” she whispered, opening her legs a little more and burying her face in Samantha’s shoulder.

She could feel Samantha nod, and Eva was more than aroused enough for her fingers to slide in easily. She curled them upwards, _exactly_ where Eva needed it, and the building heat inside her began to pulse. The heat of Samantha’s body surrounded her, and close as they were, she swore she could hear the soft hum and shift of her internal drives.

Her hips twitched forward; she was near the edge already, the feeling so different without the ever-present drive to finish quickly, to watch her back. It felt warm like a heatsink and sweet like honey, and though she’d felt it a hundred times before, she’d never been able to lose herself in it like this.

She wasn’t aware of the sounds she was making until she gasped so loudly it almost hurt. It jarred her back to the present, and her hand was halfway to her mouth before she realized she didn’t need to keep quiet.

“ _Samantha_ ,” she breathed against her skin, feeling herself squeeze around the fingers inside her.

“Hm?” Samantha asked, turning to look at her with gentle concern. There was no need for it; there was nothing wrong. “Should I change something?”

“No,” she shook her head. “No, just keep…keep going… _please_ …”

She moved her own hand down above Samantha’s, rubbing frantically at her clit until she saw stars, and a warm rush of fluid splashed against Samantha’s palm.

“Oh my god.”

Eva decided catching her breath was too tall an order right now, so instead she lifted her head up enough to look her in the eye. Samantha withdrew her fingers and examined her hand, turning it over so she could see the drops of liquid that clung to it.

“I knew there were organics who could do that,” she continued, “but I’ve never seen it in person before.”

Eva’s eyebrows raised. Not having any other example to go by, she’d assumed it was something every organic human did. (The ones with physiology like hers, anyway.) Samantha’s hand returned to her hip, and she looked at her with tender curiosity.

“Do you think…you could do that again?” she asked.

Eva flinched back a little, the weight of her situation beginning to make itself known. The thoughts she’d tried to ignore began to crawl back into place, now that her body was beginning to relax again. She _could_ do it again, certainly, but thinking about it felt…indulgent. Samantha had given her so much, and never once had she made it clear what she wanted from Eva. It was too good to be true. It had to be.

“Why?” she finally said.

“I…what do you mean?” Samantha blinked a few times, looking distinctly taken aback.

“You’ve done all these _things_ ,” she couldn’t stop talking now, the words just falling out of her even though her breathing was still heavy. “You planned every single thing you wore tonight, you came all the way down to the sub deck to see me, and the way you _look_ at me sometimes…”

Samantha listened patiently, but the heartbreak was back in her eyes.

“You’re doing it right now!” Eva said breathlessly. “ _Why do you look at me like that_?”

“Because I love you, obviously,” Samantha laughed, though her eyes were still sad. “I’ve loved you since you came back from Sanctuary.”

Eva’s chest tightened again, and she let her head fall back down onto Samantha’s shoulder. This…this, she hadn’t planned for. She wasn’t meant for something like that. She probably wouldn’t be any good at it. She wanted it so, so badly. It was unreasonably selfish, but perhaps the Eva who survived to see Cerberus destroyed could allow herself to be selfish now and again.

“Sometimes I forget the war is over,” she said. “Sometimes I forget Cerberus is gone. I used to think it was just a distraction, but I feel _so good_ when I’m around you…”

“I’m glad,” Samantha pressed a soft kiss to her neck. “You deserve to feel good.”

The hand on her hip slid slowly inward.

“Please,” Eva sighed.

Samantha’s fingers pulled the heat through her body, strong and sure enough that Eva actually lost count how many times she cried out against her. Each burst of liquid on her hand only seemed to encourage her, until finally Eva lay gasping beside her, nails digging into her back, her whole mind burned through with pleasure. She couldn’t speak, she could barely think, and she felt wonderful.

“You look tired,” Samantha kissed her cheek softly. “Is that enough for now?”

Eva nodded, her head barely moving.

“Alright. Just stay here.”

Samantha rolled off the bed, and Eva could hear her footsteps behind them. After a moment she helped Eva sit up, then slowly stand so she could roll up the now-drenched towel. Eva watched her set it in what looked like a laundry hamper, feeling slow and sleepy. The towel Samantha ran over her legs was thin but soft, and the sheets she all but collapsed onto were warm and wonderfully dry.

Samantha was soon at her side again, this time resting her head gently against Eva’s chest. Eva wondered if her heartbeat was as loud as it felt.


	3. Edi, during the Normandy retrofits

The ship was so quiet now, without its crew. The retrofit team had homes of their own to go back to at night, so the crew’s quarters were empty. Edi wasn’t used to it. She could hear the hum of the drive core as though she were all the way down in engineering.

It made it very hard to sleep.

She glanced up at the junction of plate metal where the walls met the ceiling, trying to see if she could find the cameras. They had to be there; she’d seen the ship’s blueprints. Every area of the ship had at least one.

He could see her no matter where she went. He could warn her when someone was coming down the hall, so she could hide the nutrient bars she’d taken to eating for lunch. He could make sure the team didn’t get into anything they weren’t supposed to. He could see when the last of them had left for the night and they could really, truly relax.

Dr. Chakwas had the patience of a saint, cooperating with them as they refinished the med bay. She was also remarkably good at Skyllian Five, which was good because Edi wasn’t. They were probably putting the new card table through its paces right now.

While she was supposed to be sleeping. Edi rolled over onto her back and sighed in frustration, the silence ringing loud in her ears.

Obviously, there were some advantages to having the ship so empty. That afternoon the door separating the cockpit from the CIC had been completed, and Jeff had decided to celebrate by locking it and drawing her down onto his lap. The angle was a bit different, but it had felt so much like the drive room, the way his arms had wrapped around her, the way he’d kissed her with such tenderness, like she was the most precious thing there was.

Heat sparked between her legs. She lifted herself up onto her knees, leaning back against the headboard of the lower bunk. If nothing else, this would certainly help her sleep.

She could almost feel how solid and unyielding he had felt, pressed up against the back wall of the drive room with her straddling his thigh. It had felt so warm, such a wonderful pressure against her, if she wasn’t so sure it would break her in two, she would have been perfectly happy to grind herself against him until she was whimpering softly into his mouth.

For now, she slid a hand between her legs and stroked her fingers slowly over her folds. Her head tilted back and hit the wall behind her with a soft thump. She thought she could see the glimmer of a camera lens up above her, but she couldn’t be sure.

It wasn’t the first time she’d done this, but he had yet to say anything. He probably never would unless she brought it up. For all his jokes, he had an unspoken respect for privacy that was stronger than armor plating. She liked it.

She still wondered what he thought of it. Maybe she’d ask him one day. Not today, of course, and probably not tomorrow, but one day.

An image of what might happen then flared up in her mind, and she let herself get lost in it, fingers moving softly over her clit. It was a habit of hers, in moments like this, to daydream of things she couldn’t have. His hands on her hips, holding tight as she rocked back and forth on top of him. The sound of his voice against her neck, rough with need. The feeling of his whole length inside her, hard and solid as the rest of him as she clenched around it—

She curled forward as she came, her other hand grasping at the sheets to keep her upright. Her whole body shook, and the sound of her shivering breath echoed through the empty room. After a moment, she sat back up and leaned heavily against the wall, feeling sleepiness finally arrive.

She uncurled her legs and lay down, drifting to sleep before she could remember how many days of empty crew quarters they had left.


End file.
